Travelsmartplanet

This is a UH-1 Huey helicopter shown at the Valiant Air Command Warbird museum in Florida. Here you can find a collection of vintage war aircraft, photos, uniforms and personal artifacts of the vets, and you can even meet some of these vets as they volunteer to work on the restoration of these planes.

At the northeast corner of the Space Coast Regional Airport beside the Valiant Air Command Warbird Museum is this sign advertising bi-plane rides. We watched as this bi-plane coasted along the runway and rose into the air.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be able to flashback to calm and pleasant airline travel of the 1970’s? Well you can! We just drove from Montreal to tiny Plattsburgh Airport to take Allegiant Air to hot sunny Florida. Easily, we turned off the main road, and drove right up to the airport door. I stepped out with the luggage, and Stan just parked the car across the street.

There was NO line at the Allegiant Air desk and friendly helpful service, I was done in under two minutes. There was NO lineup at security. Since you already drove through the border, there was NO customs and immigration to deal with. In probably about 5 minutes we were going up the elevator to the waiting room.

The room had a retro counter with a man selling candy, snacks, sandwiches and drinks. When I asked him the prices, He said, “What do you want, they’re all in my head?”

There weren’t overhead screens to keep track of the flight. They send any changes to you to your cellphone – and call if necessary, too. The building is going through a renovation so things might be a bit more twenty-first century when you fly.

Those of you already planning your winter sunny getaways will be happy to know that Allegiant Air flying out of Plattsburgh offers low prices with just a short drive away for Montrealers who want a nonstop flight to sunshine. Just be advised that there are extra charges for luggage (even carry-on), choosing seats, and such things as printed boarding passes for you (you can do it at home for free).

Travelers who shop around will find substantial savings when flying with Allegiant, as well as good deals on hotels, rental cars and attractions. Montrealers wishing to spend their hard-earned dollars at their destination, rather than on transportation, can fly to sunny Las Vegas and Florida.

www.allegiantair.com

The Wittelsbach dynasty ruled the German territories of Bavaria from 1180 to 1918 – that’s 738 years,  pretty impressive.  Munich Residenz,  their former royal palace, is  located right in the center of Munich and very much open to the public. After 4 centuries of building it, the giant palace is made up of  many styles: late Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo and Neo-Classicism.

Though spartan on the outside, it is very opulent inside. You can tour it for its architecture, over-the-top room decor (130 rooms), and displays from the former royal collections. After WWII, the Cuvilliés Theatre was built into the Festsaalbau wing. You can also catch the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra in Hercules Hall. In his time, Mozart performed in this palace.

The Treasury houses the jewels of the Wittelsbach dynasty and spans 1,000 years, from the early Middle Ages to Neo-classicism, and includes: crowns, swords, golden objects, rock crystal, ivory, goblets, icons, tableware and toiletries.

The palace suffered huge damages during WWII, but the curators managed to store furnishings, art and  details of its architecture in mines. When you are wandering around the 10 courtyards, see if you can find this fountain with statues of  fire, water, earth and air on its corners.

The Wittelsbach family’s head, since 1996, is Franz, Duke of Bavaria, and he still hangs out in Munich. During WWII, the Wittelsbachs were anti-Nazi and were arrested when Franz was 11. He spent time in several Nazi concentration camps. After the war, he studied at the University of Munich and became a collector of modern art. Some of his collection is on loan to the Pinakothek der Moderne Museum (see other post).

www.muenchen.de/int/en/tourism.html

Allegiant Air makes leisure travel affordable and convenient by offering low fares, nonstop, all-jet service without the hassle of major airports. The savings can be up to 72% on your flight but also a few bucks on your cell phone plan too.

Ever racked up a large cell phone bill while traveling? Allegiant, in partnership with Roam Mobility, offers a roaming plan that undercuts the big three carriers by more than 90%. Allegiant passengers can purchase daily-unlimited talk and text plans from $3 and data rates from 6 cents a megabyte from the in-flight crew to avoid “roam rage”.

If you sign up for their e-mails, you will get location specific sales – only deals pertaining to your closest airport. Besides flights, there are specials on hotels, car rental and show tickets. You will only get information on Tuesdays, so it’s easy to check then.

You can fly Allegiant to warm winter destinations like Florida, Las Vegas,  Arizona, California, Mexico and Hawaii.

www.allegiantair.com

Allegiant Air flies from America’s favorite small cities to world-class destinations. Allegiant makes leisure travel affordable and convenient by offering low fares, nonstop, all-jet service. So you get great value and without all the hassle of major airports. The savings can be up to 72% on your flight.

If you sign up for their e-mails, you will get location specific sales – only deals pertaining to your closest airport. Besides flights, there are specials on hotels, car rental and show tickets. You will only get information on Tuesdays, so it’s easy to check then.

Allegiant flies to to warm winter destinations like Florida, Las Vegas, California, Mexico, Arizona and Hawaii.

www.allegiantair.com